Biopsy
Also known as: tissue sample, histology, needle biopsy
Removal of a small piece of tissue or a few cells so a pathologist can examine them under the microscope. It is the only way to prove most cancers and many inflammatory diseases, and it grades and types a tumour so that treatment can be planned.
- Abbreviations
- FNA
- Kind
- Pathology or cytology test
- Categories
- Pathology & cytology, Endoscopy & diagnostic procedures
- Specimen
- Tissue, Cytology sample
- Method
- Biopsy, Histology, Cytology
What it measures
| Measure | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Histology | The architecture of the tissue: normal, inflamed, precancerous or malignant, and which type. |
| Grade | How abnormal the cells look, which predicts how aggressively a cancer behaves. |
| Immunohistochemistry and molecular markers | Protein and gene tests on the sample (HER2, EGFR, PD-L1) that decide targeted treatment. |
| Margins | For excision biopsies, whether abnormal tissue reaches the edge. |
Why it is ordered
- A lump, mass or shadow on imaging
- Abnormal cells on a screening test
- Unexplained organ inflammation (liver, kidney, muscle, skin)
- Staging lymph nodes
- Monitoring transplant rejection
How it is done
Depends on the site: a needle through the skin guided by ultrasound or CT, forceps through an endoscope, a punch or shave of the skin, or surgical removal. Local anaesthetic for most; results in days to two weeks.
Preparation. Blood thinners may be paused; clotting checked for liver and kidney biopsies.
Reading the result
| Finding | Usual meaning |
|---|---|
| Benign | No cancer; may still explain symptoms (inflammation, infection) |
| Dysplasia | Precancerous change; treat or survey |
| Malignant, with type and grade | Cancer confirmed; staged with imaging and discussed by a multidisciplinary team |
| Non-diagnostic | Too little tissue; repeat |
Reference ranges vary by laboratory, method, age, sex and clinical context; a result is read against the person, not a table.
Limitations
Samples a tiny fraction of an organ and can miss a lesion; small bleeding and infection risks, higher for deep organs.
Catalogued concepts this page covers
Concepts of the master test taxonomy that resolve to this page; each links to its category.